Drivers Wary of Ceding Control to the Car

People still fear the car that doesn’t need them.

A recent poll by market research firm Harris Interactive found that while new drivers definitely want to have new crash-avoidance technology in their next vehicles, they remain hesitant to give up control of their vehicles.

Half of those who responded said they would definitely include blind-spot detection in their next vehicle, and 29% said they would include a lane departure warning system as well. These numbers dropped slightly when the responders learned the price tags of this technology ($600 and $400, respectively).

Interestingly, drivers have very little appetite for technologies that would correct the car automatically. In other words, drivers want to remain in control of their vehicles at all times. More than 80% of responders said they would prefer an audible, visual or physical warning (such as a vibration in the steering wheel) rather than a car that would correct itself if it drifted out of its lane or had a vehicle in its blind spot.

It seems drivers are not yet ready to accept a role where they’re only as useful as glorified dashboard bobbleheads.